Jharkhand’s Maoist belt saw 7% more voting over 2014

Ranchi, April 30 (IANS) Jharkhand witnessed seven per cent higher polling in the state's Maoist belt during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls than that recorded in 2014, according to Election Commission (EC) data

Polling for the three Lok Sabha seats - Lohardagga, Palamau and Chatra - took place on Monday witnessed a high 64.38 per cent polling, as compared to the 57 per cent registered in 2014.

These three Lok sabha seats are spread over six Maoist affected districts of Jharkhand.

In Lohardagga, polling was recorded at 64.88 per cent, as against 58 per cent in 2014.

Chatra and Palamau, respectively, saw polling of 64.35 per cent and 62.06 per cent, as against 54.32 per cent and 59.43 per cent recorded in 2014.

Interestingly, family members of Maoist guerrillas, who have regularly called for boycotting elections, voted in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

According to local police, family members of a formal zonal commander of the banned CPI-Maoist party, Shyama Singh Kharwar, who was killed in a gun battle with security forces in 2005, voted in Monday's fourth phase of polling, which, however, was the first phase of voting in the state.

According to Election Commission officials, data indicates that the polling percentage was higher even at the sensitive polling booths under the three Lok Sabha consitiuencies.